Original: Who can be patient in such extremes?
Modern: How can anyone stay calm in such terrible circumstances?

Original: Ah, wretched man! would I had died a maid
Modern: Oh, you miserable man! I wish I had died unmarried

Original: And never seen thee, never borne thee son,
Modern: And never met you, never given birth to your son,

Original: Seeing thou hast proved so unnatural a father
Modern: Since you’ve shown yourself to be such an awful father

Original: Hath he deserved to lose his birthright thus?
Modern: Has he done anything to deserve losing his inheritance like this?

Original: Hadst thou but loved him half so well as I,
Modern: If you had loved him even half as much as I do,

Original: Or felt that pain which I did for him once,
Modern: Or experienced the pain I went through when I gave birth to him,

Original: Or nourish’d him as I did with my blood,
Modern: Or fed him with your own body as I did with mine,

Original: Thou wouldst have left thy dearest heart-blood there,
Modern: You would have shed your own blood on that battlefield,

Original: Rather than have that savage duke thine heir
Modern: Rather than let that brutal duke become your heir

Original: And disinherited thine only son.
Modern: And cut off your only son from his inheritance.

Original: Enforced thee! art thou king, and wilt be forced?
Modern: They forced you! Are you a king, and yet you let yourself be bullied?

Original: I shame to hear thee speak. Ah, timorous wretch!
Modern: I’m ashamed to hear you talk. Oh, you coward!

Original: Thou hast undone thyself, thy son and me;
Modern: You have destroyed yourself, your son, and me;

Original: And given unto the house of York such head
Modern: And given the York family so much power

Original: As thou shalt reign but by their sufferance.
Modern: That you’ll only rule because they allow you to.

Original: To entail him and his heirs unto the crown,
Modern: To promise him and his descendants the crown,

Original: What is it, but to make thy sepulchre
Modern: What is that except digging your own grave

Original: And creep into it far before thy time?
Modern: And climbing into it long before you should die?

Original: Warwick is chancellor and the lord of Calais;
Modern: Warwick is chancellor and controls Calais;

Original: Stern Falconbridge commands the narrow seas;
Modern: Harsh Falconbridge controls the English Channel;

Original: The duke is made protector of the realm;
Modern: The duke has been made protector of the kingdom;

Original: And yet shalt thou be safe? such safety finds
Modern: And yet do you think you’ll be safe? That’s the kind of safety

Original: The trembling lamb environed with wolves.
Modern: A frightened lamb gets when it’s surrounded by wolves.

Original: Had I been there, which am a silly woman,
Modern: If I had been there, even though I’m just a weak woman,

Original: The soldiers should have toss’d me on their pikes
Modern: The soldiers would have had to kill me with their spears

Original: Before I would have granted to that act.
Modern: Before I would have agreed to that decision.

Original: But thou preferr’st thy life before thine honour:
Modern: But you value your life more than your honor:

Original: And seeing thou dost, I here divorce myself
Modern: And since you do, I’m separating myself

Original: Both from thy table, Henry, and thy bed,
Modern: From both your dinner table, Henry, and your bedroom,

Original: Until that act of parliament be repeal’d
Modern: Until that law passed by parliament is canceled

Original: Whereby my son is disinherited.
Modern: That cuts my son off from his inheritance.

Original: The northern lords that have forsworn thy colours
Modern: The northern nobles who have abandoned your cause

Original: Will follow mine, if once they see them spread;
Modern: Will follow me, once they see my banners displayed;

Original: And spread they shall be, to thy foul disgrace
Modern: And displayed they will be, to your shameful disgrace

Original: And utter ruin of the house of York.
Modern: And complete destruction of the York family.

Original: Thus do I leave thee. Come, son, let’s away;
Modern: This is how I’m leaving you. Come, son, let’s go;

Original: Our army is ready; come, we’ll after them.
Modern: Our army is prepared; come, we’ll pursue them.

In Act I, Scene i of Henry VI, Part 3, the scene opens in the Parliament House in London where the Duke of York and his supporters, including his sons Edward and Richard, along with the Earl of Warwick and others, have seized the throne following their victory at the Battle of St. Albans. King Henry VI arrives with his supporters, including Queen Margaret, the Duke of Exeter, the Earl of Northumberland, and Lord Clifford. A heated confrontation ensues as York refuses to yield the throne, claiming it is rightfully his through his descent from Lionel, Duke of Clarence, the third son of Edward III, while Henry’s claim comes through John of Gaunt, the fourth son. Warwick and York’s forces threaten violence, and the King’s supporters are forced to retreat when they realize they are outnumbered.

King Henry, seeking to avoid further bloodshed, proposes a compromise: he will retain the crown for his lifetime, but upon his death, the crown will pass to York and his heirs, effectively disinheriting his own son, Prince Edward. York agrees to this arrangement and swears to honor the peace, though Richard of Gloucester privately expresses impatience at having to wait for the crown. When Queen Margaret arrives and learns of this agreement, she is furious that Henry has disinherited their son. She denounces Henry for his weakness, disowns him, and vows to fight for their son’s rightful inheritance, departing with Prince Edward to raise an army against York.

Henry VI, Part 3 opens with the aftermath of the Battle of St. Albans, where the Yorkists have achieved victory over the Lancastrians. The Duke of York enters Parliament and claims the throne, leading to a confrontation with King Henry VI. A compromise is reached whereby Henry remains king for his lifetime but agrees to disinherit his son Prince Edward in favor of York and his heirs. When Queen Margaret learns of this arrangement, she is furious and raises an army to defend her son’s birthright.

The conflict escalates into full civil war. Margaret’s forces defeat and kill the Duke of York at the Battle of Wakefield, but York’s sons—Edward, George, and Richard—continue the fight. They achieve victory at the Battle of Towton, where King Henry is captured and Edward of York is proclaimed King Edward IV. Henry escapes and flees to Scotland with Margaret and Prince Edward, while Edward IV consolidates his power and marries Elizabeth Woodville, causing tension with his supporter the Earl of Warwick.

Warwick, feeling betrayed by Edward’s marriage, switches sides and allies with Margaret and the exiled Henry VI. With French support, they invade England and briefly restore Henry to the throne while Edward flees to Burgundy. However, Edward returns with an army and reclaims his crown. The final act culminates in the Battle of Tewkesbury, where the Yorkists achieve decisive victory. Prince Edward is killed in battle, Queen Margaret is captured, and Henry VI is murdered in the Tower of London by Richard of Gloucester. The play concludes with Edward IV seemingly secure on the throne, though Richard’s final soliloquy hints at his own future ambitions for the crown.